Session

Tools for Using News In the Classroom
Location: Room 210
Friday, March 7th @4pm

Learn about KQED public radio`s news education project, which creates free multimedia current events resources intended to help educators integrate news topics into their curriculum. KQED’s The Lowdown

Resources

Freedom Riders These video segments document the events and accomplishments of the Freedom Rides, and introduce you to the real human stories of those who helped change our history.

National Archives Allows students to explore our nation’s history through documents, photos and records.

The U.S. Presidency Explore the rich history and the institution of the U.S. Presidency—from George Washington to Barack Obama. Understand the duties and powers of the President of the United States and the First Lady, gather important background information with our Presidential biographies, and engage with videos and primary sources that place you back in time at some of the most pivotal turning points in American history.

American Experience Multi-media from this acclaimed series brings to life the incredible characters and epic stories that have shaped America’s past and present.

Looking For Lincoln Engage students with multi-media from this unprecedented project that explores the life and legacy of the man widely considered one of our best and most enigmatic presidents.

]]>http://blogs.kqed.org/education/2015/03/03/kqed-at-the-california-council-for-social-studies-54th-annual-conference/feed/0driving across the s bend of the san francisco bay bridgeWhat’s the Big Deal with Net Neutrality?http://blogs.kqed.org/lowdown/2015/02/26/whats-the-deal-with-net-neutrality-and-why-should-you-care/
http://blogs.kqed.org/education/2015/02/27/whats-the-big-deal-with-net-neutrality/#commentsFri, 27 Feb 2015 18:24:58 +0000http://blogs.kqed.org/education/?p=16333

The Federal Communications Commission ruled today that Internet service and wireless providers are not allowed to slow down the speed of certain websites or create “fast lanes” for other sites that pay extra. Providers also can’t flat-out block access to certain services.

Things got all the more confusing for America’s 11 million-plus undocumented immigrants when a federal judge on Monday blocked President Obama’s recent executive actions to defer millions of deportations.

Citing an administrative technicality, the Texas judge issued a temporary injunction that stalls two programs Obama announced in November, largely in response …read more

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDEdspace and end it with #DoNowMe

Do Now

Do you think teens today are more narcissistic than previous generations? What is the difference between narcissism and believing in yourself? Given the expectations that come along with social media, is what people used to think of as narcissism just a necessary part of everyday life for today’s teens?

Introduction

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: taking selfies and being told you’re “special” has spoiled your poor, young adult brain. There’s a lot of media shade being thrown at millennials — those born between the 1980s and early 2000s — saying things like today’s young people are entitled and hard to manage, that we’re obsessed with gadgets and appearances, and that our job skills aren’t up to par with our egos. And while it’s tempting to dismiss the accusations as generational jealousy, recent research seems to indicate there may be some truth to this kind of talk.

“Millennials are more narcissistic than boomers and gen Xers were at the same age,” said Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University and the author of several books on narcissism — a personality type characterized by selfishness, an overblown view of one’s own talents, and a craving for admiration.

Twenge told Youth Radio that according to her research, millennials tend to be “tolerant, confident, open-minded, and ambitious but also disengaged, narcissistic, distrustful, and anxious.” In a study of college freshmen published in 2014, Twenge found that millennials were more likely to score themselves as “above average” and have positive self-views compared to previous generations. Millennials also scored higher on a test known as the Narcissism Personality Inventory, which measures factors like vanity, superiority, and self-sufficiency.

Assuming for now that teens today might be more narcissistic than they were in the past (which, by the way, not everyone does), some psychologists say narcissism can be a coping mechanism that actually benefits millennials.

“I think of narcissism as an adaptive thing that teenagers use to work on self-image and identity,” University of Notre Dame psychologist Daniel Lapsley told Youth Radio. Given the issues today’s teens have to deal with — fierce competition for college, a tough job market, and, thanks to the Internet, less privacy than any previous generation — he says that teens may need a slightly inflated sense of self in order to successfully overcome the challenges they’ll face.

“A certain sense of invulnerability is a good thing,” he said. “There’s going to be occasions in your life where you have to engage in behavior where it’s not certain. Asking someone for a date or applying to college. If it goes the wrong way your self-esteem is at risk.”

Resource

AUDIO: Are Teenagers Today More Narcissistic? (Youth Radio Podcast)
Are teens today more narcissistic than ever before? Some psychologists are pointing to a personality test called the Narcissism Personality Inventory, which seems to indicate that millennials have a historically high sense of self-obsession. But not everyone thinks the test is a great tool to use on teens, who may need an inflated sense of self to protect themselves against the natural pitfalls of puberty. In this week’s podcast, Youth Radio’s teen reporters turn the lens on themselves as they investigate their own narcissism scores, and interview an expert on what this trend might mean for the success of the next generation.

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDedspace and end it with #DoNowMe

We encourage students to reply to other people’s tweets to foster more of a conversation. Also, if students tweet their personal opinions, ask them to support their ideas with links to interesting/credible articles online (adding a nice research component) or retweet other people’s ideas that they agree/disagree/find amusing. We also value student-produced media linked to their tweets. You can visit our video tutorials that showcase how to use several web-based production tools. Of course, do as you can… and any contribution is most welcomed.

More Resources

ARTICLE: Seeing Narcissists Everywhere (New York Times)
This New York Times article explores Dr. Jean M. Twenge’s study of cross-generational narcissism. Using data from the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), Dr. Twenge concludes that rates of narcissism found by the NPI have risen over time, notably amongst the Millennial generation. Dr. Twenge’s analysis garners criticism from other psychologists, who argue that the NPI test is inherently flawed, and even that Dr. Twenge may be misinterpreting this data. Whereas the NPI may show a rise in characteristics that Dr. Twenge attributes in narcissism, critics claim the test more so reveals findings of qualities such as confidence and self-worth, which cannot always be directly tied to narcissism.

AUDIO: How Millennials Are Reshaping Charity And Online Giving (NPR)
This feature from NPR’s All Tech Considered looks at a counterargument to the idea of growing narcissism in the Millennial era – that Millennials are spending and giving more of their money for social good. Looking at giving patterns, the story claims that Millennials feel more of an obligation to give money to charitable causes, and also care more about investing in causes where the impact of their giving can be directly seen.

TEST: Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Personality Tests)
The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) is a test designed in 1979 that rates levels of narcissism by asking participants to select what best reflects themselves from a series of paired statements. NPI data has been evaluated over the years by various field experts, including the aforementioned study from Dr. Jean M. Twenge.

This KQED Do Now segment was produced in collaboration with Youth Radio, the Peabody Award-winning youth-driven production company headquartered in Oakland, California. This post was written by Teresa Chin at Youth Radio.

In early January, the attacks on French satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, sparked demonstrations and protests around the world and brought into the question the importance of the protection of free speech. The attacks were claimed to be in retaliation for images published by Charlie Hebdo of the Islamic prophet Mohammed, and Al Qaeda publicly took responsibility for the attack.

The movement was seen on the streets and online as people took to the phrase “Je Suis Charlie,” which means “I Am Charlie.” You can read more about the attack on Charlie Hebdo and how the paper responded in last week’s Do Now entitled When Should Free Speech Be Protected?

KQED asked students to answer the questions, When should free speech be protected and why?

There seems to be a clear consensus among students that freedom of speech should always be protected.

Mari Hibbler gave an insightful explanation of her opinion on freedom of speech. She said..

Overall, students feel that freedom of speech is vital and necessary for free-thinking individuals. As intelligent beings, people have thoughts, opinions, feelings, beliefs, and all people deserve to have their voice be heard. As soon as free speech is limited, it is no longer “free speech.” People may not always agree with what others have to say, but as soon as speech is limited for an individual, it is limited for everyone.

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDEdspace and end it with #DoNowPolice

Do Now

Do you think the police help make your community safer? How strong is the relationship between the police and your community?

Introduction

In the wake of Ferguson and other recent high visibility incidents throughout the country in which white police officers killed unarmed black males, increased national focus has been placed on the often frayed relationship between police and the communities they are responsible for serving.

These incidents brought to light longstanding tensions, particularly in communities of color, where trust between community members and law enforcement is often lacking. Recent investigations of various police departments throughout the country reveal shockingly high rates of use of force and officer-related fatalities, particularly involving young men of color. Meanwhile, many police forces in inner-city communities are predominantly white with a majority of officers who do not live where they serve.

Few would dispute that policing is an incredibly difficult and dangerous job, and some police advocates have responded defensively to recent criticisms, noting the challenge of policing populations with particularly high rates of violent crime. But advocates of reform, ranging from local grassroots organizers to Attorney General Eric Holder, argue that certain changes must be made to help build a better sense of community trust in local law enforcement.

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDedspace and end it with #DoNowPolice

We encourage students to reply to other people’s tweets to foster more of a conversation. Also, if students tweet their personal opinions, ask them to support their ideas with links to interesting/credible articles online (adding a nice research component) or retweet other people’s ideas that they agree/disagree/find amusing. We also value student-produced media linked to their tweets. You can visit our video tutorials that showcase how to use several web-based production tools. Of course, do as you can… and any contribution is most welcomed.

VIDEO: Justice Department aims to rebuild trust in police with community engagement initiative (PBS NewsHour)
In the wake of the death of an unarmed black teenager at the hands of police in Ferguson, Missouri, the Justice Department is launching a $5 million initiative to foster better relationships between communities and their police departments. Gwen Ifill talks to Tracie Keesee of the Center for Policing Equity and Ronald Hampton of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.

ILLUSTRATED GUIDE: Pulled Over: Your Rights with the Police (The Lowdown)
Cartoon journalist Andy Warner explains the rules of engagement in understanding your rights if stopped by the police, and knowing how to act appropriately during these interactions to help avoid potentially dangerous confrontations.

INTERACTIVE MAP: How Many Police Officers in Bay Area Cities Live Where They Work? (The Lowdown)
2014 marked a heightened public scrutiny of police departments around the country igniting deep racial tensions and putting a sharper focus on police racial demographics. A less addressed factor, though that may impact police-community relations is officer residency rates. Here’s a map that illustrates the percentage of cops who actually live in the communities they serve in the Bay Area.

INTERACTIVE MAP: The Race Gap in Bay Area Police Departments (The Lowdown)
Circles in the featured map are scaled according to the number of sworn officers in each police department. As shown in the blue legend at bottom, the shade of each circle indicates the size of the race gap between the police force (sworn officers) and the population; the darker the circle, the larger the gap.

]]>http://blogs.kqed.org/education/2015/01/30/do-police-serve-and-protect-your-community/feed/353protestDemonstrators marched in San Francisco last August to protest the police shooting death of Alex Nieto. (Alex Emslie/KQED)How Does Your Community View Depression? Teenagers Weigh Inhttp://blogs.kqed.org/education/2015/01/29/depression-suicide-teenagers/
http://blogs.kqed.org/education/2015/01/29/depression-suicide-teenagers/#commentsThu, 29 Jan 2015 18:33:48 +0000http://blogs.kqed.org/education/?p=15652

Photo by Ryan Melaugh/Flickr

According to the American Psychological Association, depression is now the leading cause of disability among American teens and adults ages 15 to 44. In a society where depression is only recently viewed as an all-ages disease, depression in teens may be difficult for others to recognize. Family values and cultural views of mental illness can dramatically affect how depression in teens is recognized and understood.

Last week KQED asked teenagers to provide some insight on how depression is viewed in their communities. Students were asked How is mental illness viewed in your community? How can schools better support teens who are depressed? How can mental health specialists factor culture into depression treatment?

The majority of them felt that depression is a very serious issue and often times is either stigmatized or not taken seriously. Some teens shared audio and video stories of how depression has impacted their personal lives.

Anthony Palmer expresses that depression is shrugged off in his community, partly because some adults don’t understand how much depression affects teenagers. He wrote…

Kaiden McAllister, a student from Bay Area Video Coalition produced a podcast entitled, “My Interpretation of Depression” that identifies and explores different kinds of depression. Kaiden interviews his godfather who talks about how he copes with depression. Kaiden also discusses his own battles with depression. You can listen to his story below:

Here are some other students’ tweet that express how mental illness is not taken seriously or is misunderstood in their communities for various reasons…

Caroline P. shared some insightful information and observations about depression and how people treat it differently than a physical illness or injury. She wrote…

Noah shared that he thought schools do not do enough to help students suffering from depression. He wrote…

Overall, students expressed overwhelmingly how there is a lack of attention and concern for the way mental illness and depression is treated in their communities to the point that it can become a stigmatization for teenagers.